This Plaubel Makina dates from the early 1920s and was essentially a scaled up version of the earlier 1912 Makina that used 4.5x6cm plates. Based in Frankfurt, Germany - Plaubel cameras are well regarded and considered well made. This arrangement of camera is generally accepted as being a press camera. The principle requirements being that is it robust, quick to deploy, easy and fast to set up and the lens should be quick and acceptably sharp. Absolute crystal sharpness and strong contrast are not top priority as the images would be converted to halftones for the final press application and back in those days a halftone screen used in newsprint would be in the order of 85LPI (lines per Inch). The construction is certainly robust, consisting of a folded aluminium box tray that forms the outer body into which are glued the natural leather bellows. The scissor struts are of nickel plated steel and arranged with one fixed and one sliding end. To deploy the lens, the lens board is gripped and pulled out until the struts click positively into their detents. Whilst this makes the camera quick to deploy, it does leave it vulnerable to dust. A focus knob on one side is attached to an internal carriage that adjusts the distance between the sliding and fixed pivots which in turn changes the distance between lens and focal plane. A small metal distance scale indicates the range to subject for those occasions when ground screen focussing isn't expedient. The scissor strut arrangement ensures the focal and lens planes remain parallel and rigid whilst also allowing the camera to collapse for storage. So far, so good, now for the shutter.

In 1920, the dial set Compur shutter manufactured by F. Deckel was best in class, so definitely the right choice for any half decent camera. The shutter was entirely self contained, easily adjusted and designed to be surface mounted. Someone with a fairly strong will at Plaubel has prioritized form over function and decided to bury the Compur behind the Makina's face plate. In order to pull this feat off, the Compur's original circular face plate has been removed and cast into the bin. As the Compur will now be hidden and the controls no longer reachable a long shutter release lever is required but this doesn't work well with the lever geometry, but no worry - Plaubel simply rotated the entire shutter 90° to make it work. The selector wheel that originally was slightly proud of the case so that it could be rotated with a finger on the milled edge, is now surrounded. Accordingly, Plaubel drilled and riveted a small stud into the original wheel to give the budding press photographer a fighting chance of selection before the fleeting moment passed. To add to the challenge, only the tiniest of punched holes with white in fills are supplied to show where the controls for shutter speed and shutter selector should be aligned, bearing in mind this shutter is now mounted 90° contrary to every other camera. You'd have thought someone would have suggested surface mounting the shutter at this point. The circular motion to adjust the aperture is now denied the designer, given that the Compur is buried in a rectangular box, so a sliding knurled button is substituted, but since this ultimately has to mate with the Compur's original lever, again the geometry doesn't work out, so the minimum selectable aperture has to be restricted from f/32 to f/18. There are times when form should take a front seat, but a press camera? Okay, but it's probably beautifully executed, right?

	As the original pivot for the shutter release would get in the way of Plaubel's new lever, it was crudely cut off and left unfinished. One of the face plate screws is required to pass through this pivot, now not possible. A new hole was drilled and tapped lower down, the swarf from this operation being allowed to remain inside trapped in the now dry cutting lubricant. Good eh? It's hard to imagine any self respecting technician would do this, the alternative was to strip the shutter down completely, do the machining, wash the part off and reassemble. Or better still get F. Deckle to supply the shutters modified and ready to go... Plaubel or later amateur work?
	Is this abomination the work of some cack handed amateur? The aperture setting lever has been bent flat, causing the plating to flake off, then roughly chopped off and filed very approximately rounded and had a stud riveted in to locate with Plaubel's sliding aperture control. This stud, though crude is actually nickel plated, would an amateur go to this trouble? Whilst this arrangement remains as intended by Plaubel, it meant that the smallest aperture settings were unavailable. The corresponding and now redundant aperture readout on the opposing side has been bent back and forth until it snapped off, leaving a characteristic rough broken edge. The oxidation on these parts indicates this work's been done for a few decades at the very least.
	The threaded collar for the cable release has been roughly pulled out, leaving a ragged hole. All this doesn't ring true with the general external standard. Most of the internals are well made although the finish is not exceptional. There is a vaguely cottage industry feel to the Plaubel made levers hidden within, so it may well be that this butchery is genuinely Plaubel's doing. But even if the execution is that of a later amateur replacing a dead shutter, the principle is still a bit short of the mark. Fascinating though. The shutter setting lever has also been modified, chopping off the original and soldering on a piece of knurled plate matching the pattern used elsewhere on the camera, it's poorly - though adequately done, and looks contemporary.

Despite all these intrinsic design shortcomings, the Makina sold well being superceded by the Makina II in 1933 which introduced a much needed coupled rangefinder. The line continued through later relatives to the 1950s Makina III, cameras bearing the Makina name post 1975 are in name only. They are fairly common, but often show up in heavily used condition.

This particular example was acquired in July 2024 and subject to a deep clean and forensic, not to say incredulous, examination. It's seen extensive hard service both with plates and roll film backs. The light seals have been replaced on a few occasions but the scissor strut mechanism remains tight and rigid, bellows light tight and optics clear. Given the evidence noted above it's possible that the shutter has been replaced and modified to fit.

View other 6 x 9cm folding cameras in this collection.